Package-tie.



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PACKAGE T-IE. APILIfAIIOI FILED FEB. 26, 1908.

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Patented June 1,

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PACKAGE TIE. APPLIOATION FILED Mf|13.26, 1908.

' Patented June 1,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 improved package tie.

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WILLIAM W. FOWLER, OF RIVERDALE, MARYLAND.

PACKAGE-TIE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1909.

Application filed February 26, 1908. Serial No. 417,890.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM W. FOWLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Riverdale, in the county of Prince George and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Package- Ties, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to devices for tying bundles or packages of letters, papers and the like to facilitate the manipulation of the same while being transmitted by mail and for other purposes.

The invention has for its object to provide a simple and efficient device of this character,

comprising a tying cord and a fastening member permanently connected therewith, the said fastening member being of such a nature as to enable the end of the cord, after the latter has been wrapped around the bundle, to be easily and quickly secured in such a manner as to produce a tight and firmly secured bundle.

A further object of the invention is to construct the device in such a manner as to enable the tying cord to be Very easily and quickly detached from the bundle, absolutely without injury, and in such a manner as to avoid its being tangled, thus enabling the cord and the entire device to be used over and over again indefinitely.

A still further object of the invention is to produce a package tying device of the character described at such a moderate expense as to enable t to be freely used as a substitute for the common twine which is now customarily utilized for the purpose of tying bundles and packages.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawingsFigure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the preferred form of the Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the tie applied to a bundle of letters. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the tie in the act of being detached from the bundle. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the detachment of the tie further advanced, and practically accomplished. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken vertically through the body of the fastening member. Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a modified form of the device. Fig. 7 is a perspective view illustrating the application to a bundle of letters of the modified form of the device shown in Fig. 6. Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11 are perspective detail views illustrating further modified forms of the invention.

Corresponding arts in the several figures are denoted by li e characters of reference.

The improved device comprises a tying cord A and a fastening member B. The tying cord consists of a cord or thong of any suitable material and of any desired construction; that is to say, it may consist of a strip or thong of leather or rawhide, or of a piece of string or twine which may be twisted, braided or otherwise formed of hemp, cotton, silk or any other suitable and appropriate material or combination of materials of fibrous or other nature; it being understood that said cord may be impregnated, indurated or otherwise treated with protecting or strengthening material of any kind, such as gum or india rubber or the like. The fastenin member B may be constructed ver cheap y and efficiently by casting of ma leable iron or other suitable material; it being distinctly understood that no limitation is made with regard to the precise method of construction, or the material emoloyed.

I n the referred form of the invention which is ilustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, of the drawings, the fastening member consists of an elongated body 1, substantially wedge-shaped, and provided at its wide end with a lip which may be regarded as forming an integral portion of the body member, and adjacent to which a shoulder or offset 3 is formed. Extending upwardly from the lip 2, a short distance in front of the shoulder 3 is a pin or peg 4, which may be called the winding peg, and which preferably occupies a slightly tilting or slanting position, the 11; per extremity of said winding peg being t ted in the direction of the shoulder 3. This winding peg is preferably of a slightly tapering shape, increasing in thickness toward its outer or upper extremity or free end; but it is to be distinctly under stood that the said peg is to be absolutely unobstructed in the direction of its length, so that the loops or bights of the tying cord which in practice is wound thereupon. may be readily slipped off over the free end or outer extremity of the peg, the latter being not in any sense provided with a head or enlargement which would interfere with the removal of the tying cord, the side walls of the peg being straight and, as hereinbefore stated, unobstructed.

The wedge-shaped body of the fastening member is provided near its narrow end with an-aperture 5 for the passage of the tying cord; said aperture being preferably countersunk, as shown, to accommodate a knot 6 which is formed at the end of the cord for the purpose of preventing the latter from pulling through the aperture; the upper side of the wedge-shaped body is also preferably provided with a grooved channel 7 extending from the aperture 5 to the narrow extremity of the body of the fastening member, said groove being smooth and rounded to accommodate the tying cord and to prevent excessive or undue wear upon the latter.

The operation of the form of the invention which has been thus far described will be readily understood by reference to Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings. After assembling the bundle of letters or papers which is to be tied, the fastening member is placed flat upon the bundle, near the center of the uppermost )aper, and the tying cord is assed lengt iwise around the bundle, and ooped upon the winding peg, after which it is passed crosswise around the bundle one or more times until the length of the cord is nearly exhausted, the cord being looped upon the winding peg after each passage around the bundle, and the direction. of the cord being reversed after each passage around the bundle. The free end of the cord is finally tucked one or more times under the body of the cord where it will thus be retained with perfect security against accidental displacement. It is obvious that the cord may be drawn as tight or taut as may be desired, it being evident that the tighter it is drawn, the more firmly will the end thereof be secured.

By proceeding in the manner herein described, a bundle of letters, papers or the like may be assembled and tied together very quickly and with such perfect security that the integrity of the bundle will not be disturbed by any handling or rough usage to which it is liable to be subjected. Vi hen it shall be desired to disassemble the bundle this may be very quickly and easily accomplished by simply taking hold of the narrow end of the fastening member with one hand while the bundle is held by the other hand; the fastening member is then turned over or reversed, as will be clearly seen by reference to Figs. 3 and t of the drawings, thus causing the loops or bights of the tying cord to slip or slide off the winding peg, the operation being facilitated by slightly pulling or jerking the fastening member so as to disengage the tapering winding peg from the loops of the cord; as soon as this has been accomplished, the cord will instantly become disentangled and straight, the tying device being held by the hand of the operator grasping the fastening member.

it will be seen from. the foregoing that by the use of the improved device the assembling and tying together of letters, papers and other pieces of mail matter or documents is not only facilitated to a very considerable extent, but what is even more important, the untying or disassembling may be accomplished instantaneously, without cutting or injuring the tying cord, and without tangling the latter, said cord being disengaged from the bundle in a perfectly straight and smooth condition, enabling it to be readily hung, suspended or otherwise supported in suitable position for future use. The prime and important objects of the invention will thus be accomplished in a thorruighly ellicient and satisfactory manner.

The invention is susceptible of a. great many modifications any of which may be resorted to without necessarily departing from the spirit or scope thereof, and a few of such modifications have been shown in the accompanying drawings, said modified forms being selected merely for the purpose of illustration. Thus under the modification show u in Figs. 6 and 7, a plurality of winding pegs here designated 8, have been shown; said winding pegs, three in number, are slightly tilted in the direction of each other, and said pegs affording independent supporting means for the loops or bights of the tying cord. Under the modification shown in Fig. 8, the body of the fastening member is composed of an ap proximately circular plate. or button 9 having an aperture 10 for the reception of the tying cord and provided with an approximately centrally disposed winding peg H.

The form illustrated in Fig. S) resen'ihles that shown in Fig. 8 with this exception that i the dish or button 9 is provided with a circumfercntial guard flange 12 having suitably spaced vertical slots or notches 13 for the ilfl passage of the tying cord when the device is in operation.

In Fig. 10 of the drawings a base or body formed of sheet-metal is provided with a shoulder or offset 14 and with a lip 15 provided with a struck-up pin or peg 1.6; this device is obviously capable of being utilized precisely in the same manner as the fastening member illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, and with precisely the same results.

In Fig. 11 has been illustrated a fastenin member comprising a frame or body forme of wire; said frame being formed With the shoulder or offset 17, the forwardly extending lip 18 and with the peg 19 projecting up ward from the lip. Numerous other modifications would be available, but the fore going are considered sufficient for the purpose of illustration.

In the several forms of the invention with the exception of that which is illustrated in Fig. 8 of the drawings, the winding peg is guarded by the shoulder or offset upon the body of the fastening member disposed in proximity thereto, or, in the form illustrated in Fig. 9, by the circumferential flange 12; the object is not merely to guard and protect the winding peg, and to prevent the latter from being broken or injured, but equally to prevent the bundles of papers or documents from being torn, punctured or otherwise in j med by the projecting points of the winding pegs. The slanting or inclined position of the pegs is resorted to in order to facilitate the adjustment of the loops or bights of the tying cords in assembling the bundles, and to render accidental displacement less liable to occur.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed, the operation and advantages of this invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains; it is simple, inexpensive, and thoroughly efficient for the purposes for which it is provided.

In Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings, the body of the fastening member has been shown provided with a narrow tapering or wedgeshaped notch or recess 21 in which the free end of the tying cord may be adjusted and wedged for additional security; it is obvious that any of the different forms of the invention may be provided with means equivalent to said notch for the purpose of securing the free end of the tying cor Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States-- 1. In a device of the class described, a body-member having a shoulder or offset and a projecting lip, a winding peg rising from said lip at an angle to the plane thereof, ad-' j acent to the shoulder, and a tying cord connected with the body-memb er approximately in the plane of the lip.

2. In a device of the class described, a body member having a winding peg disposed at an angle to the plane thereof, and an offset forming a guard adjacent to the winding peg and of a height approximately equal to the height of the peg.

3. A fastening member having a guard portion and a tapering unobstructed winding peg supported adjacent thereto, said winding peg increasing in thickness from its base toward its outer or upper extremity or free end.

4. A fastening member having a guard portion and a tapering unobstructed winding peg supported in a slanting position adjacent thereto, said peg being of a height approximately equal to the height of the guard portion and of increasing thickness from its base toward its upper or outer extremity or free end.

5. A fastening member having a shoulder constituting a guard portion, a lip projecting therefrom and a tapering winding peg supported adjacent thereto, and a tying cord attached to said fastening member.

6. In a device of the class described, an elongated fastening-member having a shoulder or offset, a lip projecting beyond said offset and an unobstructed winding peg rising from the lip adjacent to the offset and at an angle to the plane of the lip, and a tying cord connected with the end of the fastening member distant from the lip.

7. In a device of the class described, a fastening member comprising a body portion and an unobstructed winding peg connected with and rising from said body portion at an angle to the plane thereof, in combination with a tying cord connected with the body portion of the fastening member at a distance from the winding peg and approximately in the plane of the base of said winding peg; said cord adapted to be looped upon the winding peg and to be disengaged from the latter by sliding the loops lengthwise from the e 8. Ir 1 a device of the class described, a fastening member comprising a body having an offset constituting a guard portion, a projecting lip, and a plurality of winding pegs rising from the lip.

9. In a device of the class described, a fastening member comprising a body portion having a plurality of winding pegs tilted or inclined in the direction of each other, and an offset constituting a guard portion adjacent to the pegs.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM W. FOWLER.

Witnesses:

L. L. BURKET, BURNETT L. JoNEs. 

